Lost and Found
by Stormwhisker12
Summary: My newest fanfic. Young loner kitten, Chase, struggles with the loss of his sister. Forced out of his home, alongside his brother, Dominic, the two toms find the Clans. Chase knows these are the groups of cats from his dreams. But will an old promise bring destruction to the Clans? Takes place many, many years into the future of the Clans. Hope you guys like this. RIP: BV :(
1. Allegiances&Prologue

Allegiances

WINDCLAN

LEADER: Hawkstar- gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

DEPUTY: Iceclaw- pale gray tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Rowanfoot- ginger she-cat with amber eyes

WARRIORS:

Grasswhisker- light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Lichenheart- dark brown she-cat with pale green eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Quailpaw

Darkfang- dark gray tom with blue eyes

Jayfur- gray and white tom with amber eyes

Weaseltail- brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Thornpaw

Plumfur- black she-cat with blue eyes

Bramblepelt- long-haired black tom with green eyes

Frostflower- white she-cat with pale green eyes

Hollywish- silver she-cat with yellow eyes

APPRENTICES:

Quailpaw- pale brown she-cat with amber eyes

Thornpaw- pale ginger tom with green eyes

QUEENS:

Leafwhisker- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Jayfur's kits: Cinderkit (gray and white she-cat), and Emberkit (black tom)

Silverwind- pale gray tabby she-cat. Mother of Weaseltail's kits: Cloudkit (white she-cat), Runningkit (light brown tabby tom), and Robinkit (gray tabby she-cat)

ELDERS:

Sootspeck- brown tom with pale yellow eyes

Vixenheart- gray she-cat with green eyes

Yellowclaw- ginger she-cat with green eyes

THUNDERCLAN

LEADER: Ashstar- white tom with unusual gray eyes

DEPUTY: Leopardspot- tortoiseshell she-cat with ginger and black specks and green eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Rowanpaw

MEDICINE CAT: Starlingfeather- ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

WARRIORS: 

Hazelpelt- black and white she-cat with green eyes

Featherflight- white she-cat with amber eyes

Willowpool- dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Ivypaw

Moonfrost- black and gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Sunflame- ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Cloverpelt- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Whitepaw

Reedspeck- dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Flamecloud- dark ginger tom with yellow eyes

Mouseheart- pale brown she-cat with amber eyes

Vinetail- gray tom with blue eyes

APPRENTICES: 

Ivypaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Rowanpaw- pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Whitepaw- silver tom with white paws and blue eyes

QUEENS:

Sandbreeze- pretty bright ginger she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Reedspeck's kits: Redkit (dark ginger she-cat), and Mudkit (dark brown tabby tom)

Cherrycloud- cream and brown she-cat with blue eyes. Expecting Flamecloud's kits.

ELDERS: 

Rosefall- reddish she-cat with amber eyes

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: Fennelstar- light brown tom with green eyes

DEPUTY: Mosstail- black and white tom with blue eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Primroseheart- pretty ginger she-cat with green eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Whiskerpetal- white she-cat with green eyes

WARRIORS:

Beetlewing- sleek black tom with green eyes

Icepelt- small white she-cat with amber eyes

Otterstripe- ginger and white she-cat with green eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Duskpaw

Hailfur- gray tabby tom with pale yellow eyes

Skyfish- nimble silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Timbercreek- muscular dark brown tom with yellow

eyes

Logtail- light brown tom with pale yellow eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Creekpaw

Gooseheart- gray and white tom with green eyes

Ripplefur- long-haired gray tom with amber eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Goldenpaw

Dawnbright- pretty ginger she-cat with green eyes

APPRENTICES: 

Creekpaw- dark ginger tom with green eyes

Duskpaw- black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Goldenpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with ginger paws

and pale green eyes

QUEENS:

Graymoon- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue

eyes. Mate of Hailfur.

ELDERS:

Blackclaw- black and white tom with amber eyes

Featherwing- gray tabby tom with green eyes

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: Brightstar- black and white she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY: Owlheart- dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Dovefeather- gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

**APPRENTICE- **Scorchpaw- white tom with dark blue eyes

WARRIORS:

Frogfoot- sleek brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Tigerfur- dark brown tom with green eyes

Ashwing- pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Badgerpaw

Quicktail- agile ginger tom with green eyes

Nightclaw- black tom with blue eyes

Briarfang- small dark brown tom with amber eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Wolfpaw

Pineflower- pretty light brown tabby she-cat with

pale yellow eyes

**APPRENTICE- **Graypaw

Snowpelt- white tom with pale blue eyes

Blossomfur- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with

green eyes.

Waspflight- dark ginger tom with green eyes

APPRENTICES:

Badgerpaw- black and white tom with blue eyes

Graypaw- gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Wolfpaw- dark gray tom with green eyes

QUEENS:

Bluestorm- gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of

Nightclaw's kits: Crowkit (pale gray tom), and Softkit

(black tom with very soft fur)

Petalwhisker- ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Mother of Tigerfur's kit: Cedarkit (brown tom)

Mistmeadow- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Expecting Snowpelt's kits.

ELDERS:

Ivywing- gray and white tom with blue eyes

Jaggedclaw- brown tabby tom with amber eyes and

one claw twisted backwards.

Tawnymouse- reddish brown she-cat with amber eyes

Shrewfoot- pale ginger tom with pale yellow eyes

CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS

Stormy- ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Lily- pale ginger and white she-cat with amber eyes

Dominic- dark ginger tom with green eyes

Chase- ginger and white tom with amber eyes

Clio- white she-cat with pale ginger paws and green

eyes.

Denny- black tom with green eyes

Scorch- gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

PROLOGUE

"Hawkstar!"

A gray tabby she-cat with burning amber eyes emerged from her den in Tallrock.

"Rowanfoot? What is it?" she padded over to the ginger she-cat sitting in the middle of camp.

Rowanfoot glanced at Hawkstar, her leader, and gestured with her head upwards toward the sky.

Hawkstar looked at the dusk sky. The sun had just set and the sky was beginning to darken. Leaf-fall was approaching. Soon the warm, long days of Greenleaf would be over, and the shorter, cooler days would begin. All of the Clans struggled through the winter, but WindClan was strong. If not the strongest!

Hawkstar admired the beautiful sunset, but why was that so important to Rowanfoot?

She cocked her head at the ginger she-cat. "What did you need to show me?" she asked.

_Surely my medicine cat wouldn't have called me out of my den to see a _sunset?

Rowanfoot shook her head. "I believe this moon is the last peaceful one we will have for a long time, Hawkstar."

Hawkstar's amber eyes flashed. "What do you mean? Has StarClan sent you a prophecy? Is something wrong?" she fired the questions rapidly.

The WindClan medicine cat purred. "Oh, Hawkstar. Of course something is wrong." Rowanfoot said the words so calmly that Hawkstar almost didn't hear her right.

"Did StarClan send you a prophecy?" she repeated urgently.

A strong wind blew across the moor, and ruffled the two she-cats fur. Hawkstar noticed that the moon was already making its journey into the deep blue nighttime sky.

Rowanfoot turned to her leader. "Yes," she blinked. "Our ancestors have told me that the Clans have much deep trouble to come."

She gazed brilliantly at the shining silver moon.

"By the next full moon, we will all be in serious danger." The ginger medicine cat explained softly.

Hawkstar jumped to her paws. "Danger? What kind of danger?" Her neck fur bristled and her claws unsheathed.

It unsettled her and bothered her that Rowanfoot was so calm about this news!

"StarClan does not know for sure. But visitors will come, seemingly seeking help from the Clans. Little do we know, they have a secret. StarClan is blind to that secret for the time being. All we can do as a Clan is wait."

Hawkstar flattened her ears and closed her eyes shut, lowering her head to take all of this in.

"B-but surely StarClan can tell us more than that!" she spat angrily. She stared at Rowanfoot, who was gazing mesmerizingly into the moonlight.

"Hawkstar, I think you are misunderstanding who StarClan is. They are the spirits of our dead ancestors. They are not an all-powerful group of cats that can tell our future. They can only glimpse what is to come, and warn us before it happens. That is what they do. One day both you and I will be up there in Silverpelt, watching over generations and generations of cats to come."

The WindClan leader lashed her tail. "I did not haul myself out of my den to be lectured on the powers of StarClan! What do I need to know about this danger?!" she spat angrily.

Rowanfoot locked eyes with Hawkstar. "All you need to know is that your precious Clan is in danger. All of the Clans are in danger! Now you can sit here and demand for answers like a pouting kit, or you can pick yourself up and listen to your medicine cat!"

Hawkstar flattened her ears to her head, and lowered her eyes. She shut her mouth, and turned away from Rowanfoot. She lashed her tail and whispered," You don't own me," and padded back to her den in silence.

The medicine cat rose to her paws. She took one last look at the bright silver moonlight.

Rowanfoot flicked her tail dismissively at the full moon. Last night was the Gathering. By the next Gathering, Hawkstar would understand what Rowanfoot was trying to tell her.

She sighed, and trudged back to the medicine den.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"Chase! C'mere!"

Chase pricked his ears as he heard his brother's voice coming from the other side of the holly bush. He hissed silently, as the shrew he was stalking scurried off into a tree stump.

He turned around and padded gingerly through the holly bush, and stopped when he saw Dominic, his brother, standing in a stalking crouch, watching a plump robin peck unknowingly at the ground.

Chase stopped, and watched his brother. Dominic glanced back, and saw him standing there. All of the sudden, the robin took off into the sky, and vanished over the treetops.

"Seriously?!" Dominic whipped around, his green eyes full of menace.

"I wanted you to get on the other side of the robin and lead it into my paws!" he snapped.

Chase felt a rush of anger. "How was I supposed to know that?! I was on the other side of the holly bush trying to catch a shrew! Which _you _scared off!"

Dominic's hackles rose, and he was about to return with a stinging retort, when a voice from behind Chase scared him into keeping quiet.

"What's all this about?" meowed Stormy, their father.

Chase bounced to his paws. "I was stalking a shrew when Dominic called through the bushes and expected me to help him catch this fat old robin! Then-"

"Chase!" He shut his mouth.

Stormy glared at his youngest son with disappointment in his disapproving green eyes. "I expect you two to work together! There is only a moon and a half more of Greenleaf, and then leaf-fall. What do you think we'll all do if we cannot work together and catch prey?"

He looked at both toms in turn.

"We will starve! And then? We'll die!"

Chase flinched. He knew that their family was in a very bad position at the moment. Stormy, Chase, and Dominic were the only strong cats.

Their mother, Lily, and their young sister, Clio, had a serious cold. It wasn't even leaf-bare! None of the cats knew the first thing about herbs or curing sick cats, so they could only hope for the best for their mother and sister.

Chase lowered his gaze. He knew he and Dominic should be working together. But Dominic was three moons older than him. And Clio was three moons younger than Chase. They were all spread apart.

That's why none of them got along.

Little Clio was only 5 moons old. She should be bigger and stronger than she was. She still looked newborn, and her white fur was patchy in areas where the sickness wouldn't let it grow in right.

Chase was snapped back to reality when Stormy sighed, long and hard.

"I don't know what to do about you two anymore. You'd better figure something out. Or else…" he looked down at his ginger tabby paws.

"We're going to lose your mother and your sister." His voice was full of more sadness than anger as it was before.

Chase exchanged a glance with Dominic. His face was expressionless.

Stormy turned around and padded back through the undergrowth, the branches quivering where he disappeared.

Chase padded up a short slope, carrying a vole in his mouth. Dominic followed a few paw steps behind him, carrying two mice by the tails.

It was nearly sundown. The reddish orange rays warmed Chase's back as he reached the top of the short little slope.

He didn't stop to wait for his brother.

Dominic was capable of walking up the slope on his own.

Chase padded across the open stretch of green grass, and then padded down the low dip in the ground.

He trotted to the bottom, and then stopped, looking around. Their home was in the dip in the earth. A wide-spread, tightly woven together den covered more than half of the dip.

The den was open underneath the thick leaf roof. The whole underneath of the den was filled with leaves, feathers, anything soft and comfortable! So at night when the cats would stumble tiredly into the den, they could just flop down anywhere. Anywhere could be a nest! It was the perfect idea. Stormy had built it for Lily when she was expecting Dominic.

Chase padded into the den, and to the middle of it, where there was a cleared open dirt space. That was where the prey-heap was. It was completely empty at the moment. Chase felt proud as he set his vole down in the empty space.

Stormy didn't seem to be there. Just Lily and Clio lay at the far corner.

Chase padded over to her. They were both sound asleep.

He gazed at them for a few seconds, before his ear flicked. He turned around, and Dominic padded inside the den.

He dropped his two mice by the vole, and then glared silently at Chase.

_What's his problem? _He wondered as he watched his older brother walk to the other corner of their large den, and flop to the ground.

Chase looked at Dominic, and then Lily and Clio. He felt alone. The forest seemed too quiet outside.

_Why is it so quiet outside?_

He padded outside, looking around. He felt his amber eyes turn to slits as he fought panic. The whole forest was silent and still. No birds called to each other from the treetops.

The wind had completely stopped.

Chase looked around wildly. He padded to the edge of the dip in the ground, which they mostly just called 'hollow', even though it wasn't much of a hollow.

Chase padded to the edge, right where it started to slant upwards.

All of the sudden, Stormy appeared at the top.

The ginger tabby bounded down to the hollow, carrying a furry squirrel in his mouth. He stopped in front of Chase, who was still looking around, wondering why the wind had stopped blowing and the birds had stopped calling.

"Chase? Are you alright?" his father asked.

He shook his head, clearing the panic trance.

Chase and Stormy looked at each other in the eye. Confusion reflected on his green gaze. Chase dragged his eyes away, and noticed that the forest was again full of life.

He flicked his head around.

_What just happened?_

Stormy flicked his tail. "What's wrong with you? What's the matter?" there was a tone to his voice that Chase knew meant that he should be more calm when around his mother and sister, who would easily panic if they saw him doing the same.

Chase lowered his head. "Nothing. I just… thought I heard something." He turned around and padded back into the den before Stormy could question him further.

Later that night, Chase couldn't sleep. The moon was halfway to moonhigh. Dominic slept in the corner by the entrance. He was snoring loudly.

Stormy slept in front of Lily and Clio, who were still lying where they were when Chase brought the vole.

Chase rose to his paws. Maybe all he needed was a short walk through the nighttime woods to clear his mind. The den always seemed full of tension, even when everyone was asleep.

The full moon was shining its bright rays down on the forest. The light lit up the trees and undergrowth around him as Chase walked up the slope to the top.

He padded to the top, and stood at the edge, looking down at the hollow.

After looking at his home for a few moments, he turned around and raced full speed down the slope.

When he reached the bottom, a short stretch of overgrown grass was there, until a long and wide prey-filled forest demolished the grass.

Chase bounded through the starlight filled grass, which was tall enough to reach his ear tips.

Finally, he entered the forest. It was hard to see at first, but his eyes got used to the darkness after a few moments.

He jumped over a fallen log, whose branches stuck out everywhere. It made it hard to jump over in one leap, but Chase was used to this jump, and made it over with a few mouse-lengths to spare.

He stopped once he reached the other side of the log. Crickets chirped all around him, and somewhere far away, an owl hooted from a tall tree.

Chase felt a cool breeze drifting through the woods, which stirred his whiskers.

All of the sudden, a twig snapped from somewhere not far off ahead of him. He froze, listening. The crickets stopped chirping, and the breeze paused.

He felt the fur rise on his shoulders.

Then, he padded on, trying to forget that something out there in the woods knew that he was there.

Chase emerged from the forest, which seemed almost never-ending. What lay ahead of him left him astounded. There was a marsh, with few trees, soggy ground, and little streams running throughout.

He'd never been this far away from the hollow. He wondered if he could make it back to the den in this darkness. Chase was about to enter the marsh, and do a little nighttime exploring, when paw steps from behind him made him freeze.

He whipped around, unsheathing his claws, when he saw two cats standing before him.

_Denny! Scorch!_

The two cats glared at him.

Chase hissed, trying to look braver than he was, even though he was only 8 moons old.

Denny, a pitch black tom with angry green eyes, stepped forward. "What are you doing in our marsh?" he spat, his claws already unsheathed.

Scorch, a gray tabby with piercing yellow eyes, lashed his tail. "We've warned your family to stay off of our land one too many times."

Chase gulped. _Why did I go this far away from home? I should've stayed by the hollow!_

Denny and Scorch were brothers. They marked their territory as most of the never-ending woods, and apparently, all of the marsh too. They lived together somewhere in the forest, and defended their so called territory very fiercely.

Stormy told Chase and Dominic about how a few moons before he met Lily, that he accidently killed a huge eagle in their part of the forest.

Denny caught him, and almost killed him in a tussle over the eagle.

Stormy tried to find a place far away from their territory, but most of the forest beyond was dead and prey-less.

He chose the hollow, and lived with Lily there. Ever since, Stormy, Dominic, and Chase have always accidently traveled over the scent line into Denny and Scorch's territory, and got threatened and warned many times.

Chase was snapped back to reality when Denny hissed loudly at him.

"What's your name, kit?" he spat.

Chase froze. _Kit? He called me a kit! I'm no kit! I'm only a few moons away from full-grown!_

Denny must've noticed his fury at the name, and bared his teeth in triumph.

"What? Is your crow-food eating father ashamed of you because you're so small? Why, you're so tiny a mouse won't know the difference!" Denny taunted.

Chase bared his teeth back at the black tom. "I'm not small!" Scorch chuckled with laughter.

"He's right, Denny. He's not small. He's puny!" Scorch mewed with mock amusement.

Both toms watched Chase puff with anger and embarrassment.

"I'm not puny! I'm just the right size for my age!" he retorted.

Denny stopped laughing, and pricked his ears with interest.

"And what would that be?"

Chase puffed out his chest fur. "Eight moons!"

Scorch purred with amusement. "He's just out of the birth den!"

Denny didn't join in. His brother noticed, and stopped abruptly.

Chase felt uncomfortable. The embarrassment moved away, and fear entered in its place.

"J-just let me go back home. I promise I won't go on your territory again." He meowed unevenly.

Denny laid his ears back.

"That's what you all say! And does it ever happen?" he puffed. "If it did then you wouldn't be where you are right now, kit."

Scorch hissed. "I think it's time we put an end to that lie, huh Denny?" he moved his angry yellow gaze to his brother.

Denny's eyes turned to slits.

"That's exactly what I plan to do."

Chase's eyes widened.

Without another word, he dashed in between the two cats, and into the starlight filled forest, even though it seemed darker now.

He rushed on, forcing his paws to keep moving. He heard Scorch yowl," He's getting away!"

Then Denny called," after him!"

Chase could hear their bigger, tougher paws racing after him full speed. He knew he was no match for them; they were much bigger.

He tripped over a bramble tendril, which made him loose his footing. He tripped over his own paws a few tail-lengths, and then pelted on, forcing himself through thick undergrowth.

Chase's claws felt like they were ripped out by the time he reached the stretch of grass, which gave way to the upwards slope by the hollow.

He couldn't hear Denny and Scorch's paw steps anymore, but he didn't hear them say anything after Denny declared chasing him.

_How could they just give up without calling any words of revenge to me?_

Chase stopped at the top of the slope, and peered down the hill into the never-ending forest, as he would now call it.

He lifted his tail, searching quickly with piercing eyes at the forest, looking for slinking cat shapes or mysterious creeping shadows.

It didn't seem like they were even there.

Chase blinked, and then turned tail and raced down the dip in the ground, to the safety of the hollow.


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"What do you mean, they chased you? Where were you? In our forest?"

Chase struggled to keep patient with Dominic, who was firing questions at him faster than a frog in the water.

It was the next morning after his encounter with Denny and Scorch, and Chase had just woken up a few moments ago. He was outside of the den stretching, when Dominic told him that he noticed he wasn't in the den in the middle of the night.

Chase had to explain, and was regretting it now that Dominic was interested in the story.

"I think I was in our forest. It was the middle of the night, I couldn't tell exactly. I just kept walking in a straight line through the woods, and then there was the marsh!"

Dominic looked a little confused, but before Chase could go off into more explaining, Stormy appeared on the top of the slope, carrying a squirrel in his mouth.

Chase watched their father bound down the dip, and stop in front of his sons.

He dropped his squirrel, and looking at them questioningly. "What's this about? Did I miss something while out early hunting?"

Chase quickly explained what happened the night before to his father, with Dominic tiredly interrupting with his worrisome quarrels.

When Chase finished, Stormy looked worried. "I agree with you, Dominic, this means trouble. Who knows where they disappeared to?"

He lashed his tail.

Dominic looked frustrated. Chase didn't know what to say. _Why did I ever go for that stupid walk last night? _

He was beginning to feel stressed, when Dominic saved him the worry.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see where they turn up next." He sounded a bit scared, but Chase didn't like feeling good about that. He was scared too, and he could see the same fear in Stormy's eyes.

"I agree. But we'll have to keep up the watches over Lily and Clio. From now on at least one of us has to stay in the hollow to watch them while the other two hunt. Got it?" he looked with wide eyes at Dominic and Chase.

They both nodded. "Okay." Chase agreed.

Stormy acknowledged them with a flick of his tail, and then carried the squirrel into the den.

"Chase! Can I go outside and play?" asked Clio in a weak voice. Even though she was sick, she was still a kit.

It was just after sun high, and Chase was stuck in the hollow watching Lily and Clio while Dominic and Stormy hunted.

Lily was eating in the far corner, chewing tiredly on the squirrel Stormy had caught earlier. Chase sat at the very edge of the den, watching Clio play with a ball of old moss.

She stared up at him, with pleading green eyes.

Chase sighed, and gave in. "Alright. But stay in the hollow, and not too far from the den!" he meowed as she bounced excitedly on all four paws.

He purred as his little sister bounded happily out of the den, into the warm Greenleaf sun.

Chase padded out of the den, and lay down in front of it. Clio turned around to face him.

"I've barely even been out of the den in my entire li-"she was cut off by a fit of coughing. Chase felt a wave of concern, and rose to his paws to stand by her.

"Clio, are you alright? Do you need water? Maybe it is too early to let you run around on your own…"

"Please, no!" she fixed her ruffled fur, and tried her best to look healthy and better. "I'm fine. Really! I think the cold is actually clearing up."

She stifled another cough.

Chase gave her a glare. "Clio…"

All of the sudden, Lily padded out of the den, and stood by them, making a triangle of cats, all facing each other.

Her pale ginger and white pelt was ruffled and unwashed, and her eyes looked dull.

"Clio is fine, Chase. Let her play until your father returns from his hunt. She's fine on her own."

Chase felt a wave of surprise.

"Are you sure, Mother? She barely looks any better to me." He looked at the little white she-kit.

Her white fur looked a bit better, but still ruffled and a bit dirty. Her paws were pale ginger, all four of them. That's the only thing that displayed any relation to Lily.

Clio still looked a lot healthier than Lily.

Their mother nodded at Clio. "She's getting better. Go on, Clio. Have fun. There's only a moon and a half until leaf-fall. Have fun while it lasts."

Chase watched Clio bounce excitedly, and then scamper off around behind the den, where there was a patch of ground where they made their dirt, and then a few tail-lengths of thick undergrowth before sloping back up.

Lily looked around at the sky and trees. She looked thoughtful.

Then, she sniffed, and broke out into hoarse coughing.

Chase winced until she stopped, still tense and regaining her breath.

"Mother, you know as well as I do that Clio isn't getting better. The cold seems to be getting worse. In her and in you." He watched his mother flick her tail and meet his gaze.

"There's nothing you and I can do about it. Neither can Dominic or Stormy. We know nothing about herbs." She dragged her tired amber eyes away.

Chase sighed, and nodded. "I guess you're right, Mother. I just… I don't want to lose you like this. Without putting up a fight. And Clio… she's only five moons old. She still has her whole life to live!"

Lily looked thoughtful. "You're right."

She sat down, and dragged a paw over her head, cleaning her grimy pelt.

Chase sighed, long and tired.

Later that night, Chase was sitting in the den. He was sore and exhausted; he'd spent the entire afternoon refilling the den with brand new moss and feathers.

The sun was just about to disappear over the horizon, and a cool night breeze was circulating around the inside of the clean new den.

Chase lay in his corner, across from Lily and Clio's, and licked the dirt from his paws. The old bedding was dirtier than he had thought.

Stormy and Dominic stood in the middle of the den by the prey-heap. They arranged the fresh-kill so it looked neat.

Stormy announced," Alright everyone. Let's eat!"

Chase felt a pang of hunger, and realized that not only was he tired and sore, he was also starving.

Dominic picked up a small water vole and a chickadee, and deposited it in front of Lily and Clio, who nodded and started eating ravenously.

Chase rose to his paws, and padded stiffly to the prey-heap. There were two more chickadees, a robin, and three shrews. Stormy and Dominic had made a good catch today. This would keep all of them full until tomorrow night!

Chase picked up a chickadee and the biggest shrew for himself.

He returned to his corner, and scarfed down the prey, which tasted better than prey had in a while.

It was probably because of all of his work today.

Dominic chose the robin and a shrew, and Stormy took the last chickadee and the last shrew.

They each got two pieces of prey, and Lily and Clio shared the water vole and chickadee.

By the time everyone was finished eating, Chase felt full, and warm in the comfortable den. He could barely remember the threat of Denny and Scorch.

_Everything is fine. Those two scavengers probably returned to their own den. They'll leave us alone as long as we're careful. _


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Chase! Chase wake up!"

Chase awoke to the sound of Lily's voice, raised and worried.

He blinked open his eyes. He was tired and even sorer than ever. His muscles ached as he moved his paws to sit up.

"What? What is it?" he asked, feeling worried. Judging by the amount of moonlight that was filtering in the den roof, it was a little bit after moonhigh.

Lily and Chase were the only ones awake.

His mother unsheathed her claws in and out. "Clio's gone! I can't find her anywhere!"

Chase ignored the aching soreness in his legs and shoulders, and rose to his paws quickly.

"When did you notice she was gone?" he asked as he shuffled through the bedding to his sister's sleeping place. He shoved his nose through it, inhaling deeply.

Lily stood behind him.

"Just a few moments ago. I woke up, because I felt unusually cold, and then I noticed that Clio was gone, and her scent was stale." She broke into another fit of coughing.

His mother was right; Clio's scent was old.

Lily stopped coughing. All of the sudden, Stormy and Dominic were awake too.

Lily explained everything to them while Chase followed Clio's scent trail.

It led out of the den, and up the slope in front.

Chase lashed his tail frustratingly. _I never should've let Clio go out into the forest on her own! This never would've happened if I'd had at least a little bit of sense!_

He hissed silently at himself, and then bounded with his nose close to the ground, to the top of the dip, and stopped at the top, right before it led downward into the never-ending forest.

Chase felt his hackles rise. Under Clio's faint scent trail, was the newer scent of Denny and Scorch.

_No! This can't be happening…_He silently cursed.

"Chase! What's wrong?" meowed Dominic worriedly as he stopped next to his brother at the top of the slope. Chase turned with a burning fury in his gaze to his brother.

"Smell this." He huffed angrily. Stepping aside, he left the patch of grass with Clio, Denny and Scorch's scents open.

Dominic bent down and sniffed the grass. His green eyes flashed as his head flew up.

"Denny! Scorch! They were following her!" he exclaimed, his claws flying out in the heat of the discovery.

Chase nodded.

Dominic and Chase pelted down the hill, following the scent trail. Chase vaguely noticed that Stormy and Lily were calling to them from the top of the hill, but they were determined.

Chase trotted on, Dominic right beside him.

He started to panic as the scent of marsh coated Clio's scent, which was getting stronger.

"She's close. I can feel it." Chase whispered to Dominic. The dark ginger tom nodded, flicking his tail.

The two toms crept through the undergrowth, listening for Clio.

All of the sudden, a high pitched yelp broke the silence from somewhere not far up ahead. Chase exchanged an excited glance with Dominic.

They both pushed through the bushes, there, right at the edge of the grass where the marsh began, was Clio.

She lay, crumpled on the ground, covered in blood and scratches. Denny and Scorch stood facing her, their backs to Chase and Dominic.

Dominic emerged from the bushes behind Chase, and let out a gasp of horror.

Scorch whipped around, snarling, Denny, follow suit.

"What have you done?!" Dominic growled. His hackles flew up and his claws unsheathed, gleaming in the moonlight.

Chase unsheathed his claws. "You killed our sister!"

Denny purred with mock amusement. "That was our plan all along, you crow-food eating scavengers. I warned you," he pointed with his tail at Chase," that you and your family had crossed our borders one too many times."

Scorch bared his teeth. "And seeing this little she-kit bouncing around, all alone, in our territory? Ha, that was the last straw."

Chase let out a yowl of anguish.

"You murderers! She was only five moons old! She had her whole life ahead of her!" he spat.

Dominic hissed with fury, and launched himself at Scorch. The gray tabby was ready for him, and batted him out of the air with both forepaws sheathed.

Dominic hit the ground on his right shoulder.

Chase gaped, feeling waves of guilt. _This is all my fault. _

He cowered on the ground, his whiskers quivering in sadness and guilt.

Dominic rose to his paws, and hissed, only to be scratched across the face by Scorch, followed by a slash on the flank by Denny.

Chase watched in horror.

"Dominic! Run! Follow me!" He called, without a look back; he pelted past his brother being mauled by the two cats, and raced down a short slope into the marsh.

He didn't stop, even when he passed Clio's lifeless body.

_This is all my fault… I never should've let Clio go out on her own! I should've trusted my own instincts. I can't do anything right!_

All of the sudden, he heard uneven paw steps behind him. He glanced back, and saw Dominic staggering after him, falling behind.

Chase skidded to a halt, and whipped around. "Dominic!" his brother was bleeding, and his shoulder looked to be in pain when Scorch threw him aside and wrenched it.

The dark ginger tom limped up to him, and Chase started licking his scratches, wincing at the foul taste of blood.

"Clio is dead." Dominic meowed, followed by a whine of sadness and pain.

"I know." Chase mewed.

He stopped licking, when a yowl cut across the night from where the marsh started.

"This isn't over, you flea-bitten cats! We will hunt you down until the end of our lives if necessary! You will die!" Chase hissed frustratingly.

"What are we going to do?" Dominic asked, looking up at his little brother from where he lay on the dirt ground.

Chase stopped licking, and gave his brother a hard and meaningful glare.

"We can't go back to Stormy and Lily." He declared.

Dominic gasped, and his green eyes widened. "We have to! They're our parents!"

"They _live _too close to those-those murderers who killed our sister! We can't let Denny and Scorch find us. Or they'll kill us and our parents." He spat. Dominic had to understand what Chase was saying.

"No. We have to leave. Go somewhere else." He gasped, realizing how tired and out of breath he was.

Chase felt Dominic tense up from where he was lying next to him licking his wrenched shoulder.

"Where will we go?" he asked, looking into Chase's eyes.

"I don't know." He meowed, closing his eyes to take all of this in. "We will sleep here tonight. Rest, and find some fresh-kill when we wake up."

He opened his eyes and flopped down on his side, back to back with his brother. He sighed, and looked up at the stars.

"Then, we'll leave."


	5. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

When Chase awoke, he knew immediately that he was dreaming. He stood at the top of a tall, rolling hill. In front of him stretched more hills of moor, flat with gorse and short grass covering it.

He looked around, and scented cats.

Chase started padding down the hill, and all of the sudden, three cats stood before him.

The one on the left was a pale gray she-cat with pretty blue eyes. He stared at her. She was beautiful.

The cat on the right side was a muscular golden tabby tom, with burning amber eyes. He stared at Chase; it was like he was looking into his soul.

The cat in the middle was a gray tabby tom with blue eyes. His eyes didn't move, though they were focused on Chase.

Chase flicked his ear. The gray tabby's eyes didn't waver.

_He's blind!_ Chase realized.

The three cats stood before him, all watching him with unreadable gazes.

Chase felt uncomfortable. He gulped.

All of the sudden, the golden tabby stepped forward.

"You." He looked straight at Chase.

Chase felt a pang of fear. "What? Who are you? What do you want?" he asked, feeling a bit scared now.

The golden tabby raised his head to the sky, which was completely gray. Chase couldn't tell what time of day it was.

"We are the rulers of a powerful and large group of ancient cat spirits who guard generations upon generations of our descendants." He meowed.

Chase's eyes widened. "What?" he asked in confusion. _Cat spirits? These three cats are dead?_

"My name is Lionblaze," the golden tabby continued.

"My name is Dovewing." The pretty pale gray she-cat meowed. She looked at him calmly. He couldn't get over her deep blue eyes.

"I am Jayfeather." Introduced the blind gray tabby cat.

_These cats have really weird names. They must be really old; I've never heard of those kinds of names before._

Lionblaze exchanged glances with Dovewing and Jayfeather. "We have come here to deliver a prophecy to you, Chase." He meowed.

Chase gasped, and took a step backward, feeling his hackles rising.

_How does he know my name? _He asked himself.

"We are powerful ancient spirits. We can visit our descendants in dreams, save cats; deliver prophecies and omens by a flick of the tail." Dovewing meowed.

"We know your name." she purred.

Chase felt embarrassed now.

All of the sudden, Jayfeather and Dovewing were gone, and Lionblaze was standing before him.

Chase looked around, panicking. They weren't at the foot of the hill anymore; they were standing at the edge of a huge lake.

"Though hard times come and go, we always find a way through. You will find your way through the murder of a beloved one. To escape the cloud of darkness and evil, you must make plans."

Lionblaze started to disappear.

"Go. Now. Run, and find the Clans."

Chase sat up in his nest, thrashing and breathing hard. He looked around, panting. He was lying next to Dominic, who was just grumbling and waking up.

They were surrounded by marsh.

Chase blinked, and rose to his paws.

_Find the Clans? What are Clans?! The murder of a beloved one has to be Clio. To escape the cloud of darkness and evil… could that possibly be Denny and Scorch?_

Dominic grumbled, and lifted his head to look sleepily at Chase. "What…?" he yawned.

"Dominic, come on. Get up. We have to start trying to find some prey before we leave." Chase sat and started licking his ruffled fur.

The dark ginger tom yawned again. "I just woke up! Can't we wait for a little bit longer?..." he asked, and then flopped back down on the ground.

Chase sighed exasperatingly.

"Fine. I'll find something for both of us to eat right now. But at sunhigh, you're catching my food!" he called, as he bounded away through the reeds.

_What are Clans? They must be important. Lionblaze wanted me to find them. Maybe the Clans will help me and Dominic. _He wondered.

He wound around bushes, jumped over a small stream, and then right at the edge of a large mud puddle, he saw a fat mouse scuffling around at the edge of the puddle.

Chase crept up on it, trying not to make noise.

Finally, when he thought he was close enough, he launched himself at the mouse.

It quivered its whiskers, and started to scurry off the opposite direction.

But, Chase was faster. He sank his claws into the mouse's back, and didn't let go, even though it squirmed around.

He bit it on the back of the neck, and didn't let go until his claws didn't feel any more thrashing.

Chase pulled his teeth away, and saw the mouse lay limply between his outstretched claws. _That was a good catch! _He congratulated himself.

He turned around, and found his way back to the small clearing. There was no need to catch anything else; this mouse would keep them both going until sunhigh.

Besides, they were both still full from the feast last night, which seemed like forever ago after everything that happened.

He padded over to where Dominic was cleaning his filthy claws, and dropped the mouse at his paws, feeling proud of himself even though the guilt of what they were doing still clouded his mind.

Dominic looked at him surprisingly. "A mouse? Couldn't you find something a little bigger?"

Chase blinked.

"Do you know how dead this marsh is? I was lucky to find this!" he stared at his ungrateful brother.

He just looked at it.

Chase huffed. "Fine. You don't want it? I'll take it." He scooped up the mouse and carried it over across the small clearing to eat it alone. Dominic was older. He could find his own food.

After a while; when Chase was nearly finished, Dominic rose to his paws and disappeared in the bushes.

_I knew he'd come to his senses, _he thought with a small sigh of happiness.

It wasn't until the sun was almost a quarter way into the sky when Dominic reappeared. He was carrying a scrawny vole.

Chase stared humorously at his brother, waiting for him to say something about how he should've shared the mouse.

Dominic must've felt Chase staring at him, because he glanced angrily at him, and then flopped to the ground.

Chase purred.

By sunhigh, the brothers were finished eating, and ready to set out again.

Chase led the way through the forest. Warm sunlight filtered through the thin branches. Birds sang and flew gracefully through the air above their heads. Dominic spat grumpily at a blue jay that was swooping continuously over him.

The dark ginger tom flicked his tail furiously as the blue jay cawed, and then flapped away over the trees.

"Don't let the birds bother you. They're just playing." Chase teased.

"It wasn't bothering me. It was just… being a nuisance." Dominic saved. Chase could tell he was just trying to act tough.

It was the middle of the afternoon when Chase and Dominic reached the end of their somewhat familiar forest. It was what they'd been traveling through all day.

They emerged from the woods onto a small expanse of overgrown cattails and sand, which led down a slight slope to a rushing, bubbling river.

The river didn't look too deep, and there were tons of rocks and stones that might offer a walkway across without swimming. Chase looked on, trying to act hopeful in front of his brother. Dominic seemed extremely depressed.

The tom stood next to him, staring at the river with expressionless eyes.

"What're we going to do?" Dominic asked, for once not attempting to act like a wise elder.

Chase nodded to the stones. "We can try to cross by using those."

Dominic looked thoughtful, and then nodded. They padded down to the edge of the bank, right to the river. Chase stepped carefully onto the first stone. The rushing water whipped past his paws.

He could nearly feel the force of the water on his pads.

Chase carefully put his two front paws on the next stone, and his two hind paws on the first stone. All of the sudden, a freezing cold wind rushed through the air. It seemed like the sun disappeared for a moment in time, leaving the foaming river beneath Chase's paws dark and murky-looking.

The freezing wind rushed through his fur. He gasped at the coolness of it reaching his skin, and then his two hind paws slid into the water. His front paws quickly followed, bringing his entire body into the river.

He slowly felt himself drift downriver, bumping into stones and rocks. Chase panicked, hearing Dominic yowl frantically from the bank.

Standing at the edge of the river, Chase remembering thinking that it looked shallow. _How could I be so stupid to think that? I can't even feel the bottom!, _he thought.

Still in a panic, his paw flailing every which way in the unthinkably cold water, he could barely tell which way was up, or where the bank was.

Chase felt the river slam him into more stones. The world spun. He tried to locate where the riverbank was, so he could make his way toward it, but the freezing water drove him from any type of concentration.

He tried to call out to Dominic, but he couldn't hear or see his brother anymore.

He could feel the coolness of the water seeping deep into his skin, chilling him to the bone. _I'll die if I don't get out of this water!, _he realized.

But the river forced him into more slippery rocks and stones, tiring him greatly. Chase could feel his paws going numb, and his neck hurt from the impact of slamming into objects, and then being rushed on.

He began to feel lightheaded and dizzy, the trees and sky around him moving too fast to comprehend.

_What's going on? _Was the last thing he remembered thinking right before everything went black, and the only sound he could hear was rushing water...


End file.
